I mostly work in my small, perfectly-formed studio at home in Raydon, Suffolk, UK. Imagine a cosy farmhouse living room, with a whole bunch of pro audio equipment in it, and you’re virtually there. We are actually on a farm, with only horses for neighbours. Sometimes I use other spaces (my favourite is Winston Old School Room near Debenham, Suffolk) for specific projects.
I think the most important thing I can tell you about my studio is that it feels relaxed, allowing you to be your most creative self. We can sit around the kitchen table, drink tea and make final tweaks to those lyrics. There’s a comfy sofa, often with Frodo the long-haired chihuahua on it (but he’s happy to be elsewhere if you don’t do dogs). As well as guitars hanging on the walls, I have amazing original artwork by my friend Pam Ibbotson. I don’t do grey acoustic foam.
Microphones:
AKG C414XLS
AKG D112
Sennheiser e609
Sennheiser e835 (x3)
Shure SM7B
Shure Beta56A
Shure SM86
Shure SM58 (x2)
Shure SM57 (x2)
Sontronics STC-1
Sontronics STC-1S Stereo Pair
Sontronics STC-10 (x2)
Sony C-100
custom-made ‘sub-kick’, created by my friend Simon Edgoose.
Recording:
M1 MacBook Pro running Reaper. I love Reaper. It does everything you’d expect of a professional DAW, but to me, just makes more sense, much more quickly.
Universal Audio Apollo x8p interface.
Softube Console 1 running the SSL SL 4000 E console emulation.
FX plug-ins and virtual instruments by Universal Audio, Softube, Waves, Celemony, Native Instruments, Toontrack… too numerous to list.
Midas M32R + DL16 (for mobile recording and live sound).
Monitoring:
Genelec 8330A
Avantone Mixcube
Headphones: Ollo Audio S4X and S4R
Instruments:
Jarrett & Goudge upright piano
Roland RD64 digital piano
Cuenca nylon-strung acoustic guitar
Fylde mandolin
Ozark banjo
Westfield bass guitar
Hedwitschak bodhran
Various hand percussion, shakers etc
Drums: custom-created hybrid acoustic/electronic 4-piece kit. The snare, toms and kick use mesh heads with triggers, enabling the playing feel of a real kit but with the choice of dozens of drums via Superior Drummer 3 software. I combine this with acoustic cymbals (Istanbul and Zildjian) recorded with mics in the traditional way for an authentic live sound
I also have custom-made Swannell acoustic and electric guitars, a Yamaha Flugelhorn and a Boosey & Hawkes cornet, which I’m happy to play for you, but only I get to play those!
Amps/Effects:
Laney TF300 combo
Boss GT-10 effects pedalboard
FAQs
The Recording Booth is located on a farm in the small village of Raydon, Suffolk, UK, in between Ipswich and Colchester.
If you like to travel by rail, we’re just 15 minutes’ drive from Manningtree rail station or 20 minutes’ drive from Ipswich. I am happy to collect you from the station and take you back there again after the session.
I set up this studio to work closely and comfortably with one or two other people, with everything we need immediately to hand. The room is 7m x 4m, with all my kit in it, so doesn’t have space to bring in extra drums or a full band. I have high-quality mobile recording equipment to make live band recording possible at other locations.